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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/23016715">something wild calls you home</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/fandomchildd/pseuds/death-by-ladybug'>death-by-ladybug (fandomchildd)</a>, <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/fandomchildd/pseuds/fandomchildd'>fandomchildd</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Miraculous Ladybug</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Adrigaminette, Alternate Universe - Medieval, Alternate Universe - No Powers, Alternate Universe - Royalty, Alternate Universe - Thieves, Angst, Angst with a Happy Ending, Bard Luka, Dragon Kagami Tsurugi | Ryuko, F/F, F/M, Fluff and Angst, Human Kwami, Marichat, Marigami, Multi, Protective Adrien Agreste | Chat Noir, Protective Kagami Tsurugi, adrigami, matchmaker tikki who's got it ALL wrong</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>In-Progress</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-03-04</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-05-15</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-01 11:34:39</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>5</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>4,424</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/23016715</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/fandomchildd/pseuds/death-by-ladybug, https://archiveofourown.org/users/fandomchildd/pseuds/fandomchildd</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Princess Marinette Elena Cheng was supposed to marry Prince Adrien Agreste. She was supposed to rule peacefully and live happily ever after with a prince she had never met. But Adrien ran away before they could even meet, and Princess Marinette resigned herself to being married off to Duke Barbeau.</p>
<p>Prince Adrien Agreste ran away with his best friend, Kagami, when he was fifteen, and he's never regretted it. Instead of being married off to a princess, he gets to live a life of adventure and joy, travelling with his group of misfits and thieves to steal from people like his father and the king of Paris. Under the name Chat Noir, he quickly rises in infamy with Ryuko at his side. </p>
<p>Chat Noir and Ryuko hear of Dupain's wealth and infiltrate the princess's engagement ball, robbing the nobles blind. But the princess catches their eyes, and the two thieves can't help but try the biggest heist of their lives: stealing away with the princess's heart.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Adrien Agreste | Chat Noir/Kagami Tsurugi, Adrien Agreste | Chat Noir/Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug, Adrien Agreste | Chat Noir/Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug/Kagami Tsurugi, Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug/Kagami Tsurugi</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>54</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>250</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. Chapter 1</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>*stares at my growing pile of wips* whoops. i have no regrets.</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>Princess Marinette Elena Cheng of the kingdom Dupain was beautiful. She had suitors lining up outside her palace steps each and every day, each man hoping to catch a mere glimpse of her face. Hoping she might bless them with her lovely presence. Thousands of men after her pretty face and money and title. Not that it mattered; for in the end she was to marry Duke Barbeau. Her hand had been given away long before she could think to oppose something such as that. Once, she had imagined loving the Duke. But she was older, wiser, and not foolish enough to believe Lord Barbeau was any different than the thousands who had never met her. Maybe worse. He had met her, but made no effort to know her. He assumed everything about her, like he knew everything she was. He knew not even her favorite color. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>(It was not pink as he thought. It was red. She loved red, because of the boldness and life that flowed from it. Red was her color.)</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Princess Marinette Elena Cheng was known for her beauty, and she </span>
  <em>
    <span>hated</span>
  </em>
  <span> it. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>She hated that no man would ever look at her and see anything other than a pretty face. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The night her engagement was announced, she felt only dread. Marinette had never had a choice but this… this felt permanent. It was her final night before she was officially engaged to a man she couldn’t imagine loving. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>She resolved to make herself feel alive for one last night. Dance with every man who asked for her hand. Grin and laugh and smile and eat what she wanted and twirl in her red, red dress. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The night of the engagement ball, she was given a pink dress and firm instructions to dance with no one but the Duke. To eat nothing. To behave as a proper princess might. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Marinette hated, hated, hated her life. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>She danced one dance with Theo before returning to her throne and watching a woman in bold red (why couldn’t </span>
  <em>
    <span>she</span>
  </em>
  <span> be the one in red) dance with nearly every man on the floor. She watched as the woman in red danced with a man in black and green who smiled back at her, who laughed with her, who treated her as an equal. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The man in green and black caught her eye, and he </span>
  <em>
    <span>winked</span>
  </em>
  <span>. He was handsome, too, with blonde hair and green eyes and ridiculously high cheekbones. She felt her cheeks flush, but battled it down. She was just the paper doll. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>God</span>
  </em>
  <span>, she wanted to be the woman in red. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>It was barely a second after he winked that the ballroom went dark. Marinette didn’t believe in coincidences. Someone screamed, and Marinette spun around, hearing laughter. A ghost of a hand brushed over her fingers, and she jumped. Something cold pressed up against her throat made her freeze in terror, desperately slowing her breathing to not hyperventilate. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>But there was no bite of a knife cutting her skin or whispered demands, just a small weight that hadn’t been there before, and the brush of two pairs of lips on her cheeks.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>When the chandeliers were relit, the woman in red and the man in black were gone, as was every piece of jewelry in the room besides Marinette’s crown, and the crowd of guests swarmed to the exits to try to escape and get away from the thieves who’d stolen every piece of jewelry that wasn’t nailed down.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>In the chaos that followed, no one noticed the necklace around her neck that hadn’t been there before. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Marinette flopped backwards onto her bed, toying with the small pendant the thieves had left on her neck. A tiny blood red carved dragon encircling a jade green paw print set in obsidian. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>There was a knock at her window and her eyes widened. A single red rose rested on the windowsill, just outside the glass. She rushed over to the window and opened it, carefully examining the rose. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Maybe… this was what she’d always dreamt of. Maybe the mysterious man in black, the thief, was trying to woo her. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Or maybe it was a joke. Marinette scoffed and let the rose drop to her feet. She was stupid to think any man would consider her more than a prize to be won. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Oh, how she wished she could be that stupid.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>She was to marry Lord Barbeau in a week. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Marinette stuffed the rose and the necklace in the back of her closet, pushing any thoughts of the handsome thief away. Lord Barbeau was not unkind. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>She couldn’t help but notice that the invitations to her own wedding didn’t get her name right. She was Marinette Cheng, not Marinette Dupain. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>In a week, it wouldn’t matter, because she would be Marinette Barbeau. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Marinette let the maids fuss over her hair and dress and coo over how lucky she was, pasting on a plastic smile like she suspected she would be doing a lot after this. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>She was not lucky to be a paper doll. The maids were lucky, blessed with a chance to fall in love and stay in love. She was lucky to be born with money, and power, but at the price of freedom. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>And it was a price she didn’t want to pay.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>She was lucky to have Lord Barbeau instead of Lord Ramier or Lord Damocles. Lord Damocles was much older and Lord Ramier was… quite unsavory. She </span>
  <em>
    <span>had</span>
  </em>
  <span> been betrothed to Prince Adrien Agreste of Blanc from birth, but he’d run away with a baron’s daughter and was still missing. Even if he returned, Marinette’s father would never let him marry her after such an experience. Prince Adrien had been her age, and he was said to be handsome and kind. It was a favorable match, and Marinette had been quite excited to meet her betrothed before he left. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>His cousin, Prince Felix, would be taking the throne in his place. And Prince Felix was already happily married to a countess, so she wouldn’t be marrying into Blanc.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>No, Marinette was lucky it was Lord Barbeau. She could have far worse. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>But her freedom had been bargained away at birth, and when that fell through, she was offered up like a prize again. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>And she was to marry Lord Barbeau in a week. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The maids finished plaiting her hair and Marinette waved them away. It was just another dinner, dolled up and treated like a prize. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>If she begged off claiming illness, her mother would simply tut, loosen her corset a tiny bit, and remind her that the Duke wouldn’t want a sickly wife. No, it was better to simply bear it.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Marinette took one last look in the mirror and stepped outside, nodding at the guards that immediately fell into step behind her. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>She had a dinner to attend. </span>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. Chapter 2</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>huge thanks to <a href="https://archiveofourown.org/users/maketea/pseuds/maketea"><span>rosekasa</span></a>, <a href="https://archiveofourown.org/users/ilenne/pseuds/ilenne">elle</a>, <a href="https://archiveofourown.org/users/Pacifist_Pinnapple"><span>the tea dealer</span></a>, and everyone else who read over it and provided encouragement</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>“Admit it, you totally regret running away and refusing to marry the princess of Dupain now,” Kagami grinned, looking up from the pile of valuables they’d taken from the party. Adrien tossed a necklace at his lover, and she fell backwards in false hurt. “I know I would. <em> Damn </em>.”</p><p>Adrien wrinkled his nose at her. “I’ll never regret running away with you, Gami,” he snorted, then smiled wryly. “Lord Barbeau is a lucky man.”</p><p>“I kinda want to see if she’s still wearing our necklace,” Kagami admitted. “I know she’s engaged and all, but I’ve had quite a few fantasies about wooing a <em> princess </em>.”</p><p>“I guess it wouldn’t hurt to leave a rose or something on her windowsill,” Adrien mused, pausing his sorting to glance up at Kagami mischievously. He stuck his head out of the tent, calling out to Kim. “Ay, Kim, watch our stuff, we’re heading out!”</p><p>Max sighed, rubbing his forehead as Kim nodded enthusiastically. “Don’t be too long, Adrien, Alya’s coming back soon and she’ll kill you if you aren’t here to greet her.”</p><p>Kagami tied her red and gold mask over her face, passing Adrien’s black mask to him, and strapped her sword to her back. Adrien snagged his silver staff and they headed off towards the palace. </p><p> </p><p>Chat Noir boosted Ryuuko up far enough to grab the ledge of the balcony, and she heaved herself over the ledge. She tumbled to the ground and looked back over as if to help Chat up, but he shook his head and tossed up a rose, giving her a big thumbs up and a bright smile. </p><p>Ryuuko rolled her eyes and scaled the wall up to the princess’s window with the rose between her teeth, setting it on the sill and dropping back down to the balcony. She jumped off the balcony, grinning when Chat Noir caught her with a wink. </p><p>“My hero,” she batted her eyelashes, and he snorted, setting her down gently.</p><p>Ryuuko leaned down to adjust her mask in the reflection of a window, before straightening up and smiling at her partner. “We should head back before Roi Singe and Bunnix start daring each other again.”</p><p>“We <em> should </em>.” Chat Noir glanced around, then spotted a sleeping guard by the entrance of the hedge maze and met her eyes again, his smile widening. Ryuuko sighed, letting him pull her into the maze with a resigned, loving smile. </p><p>The two thieves ran through the maze hand in hand, giggling and giddy from each other’s company as well as the thrill of sneaking into royal grounds. They burst into the center of the maze, both laughing breathlessly, and collapsed to the wildflower-speckled grass at each other’s sides. </p><p>The silence as they caught their breaths was peaceful, comfortable. The stars spread out like a blanket over their heads, galaxies for only their eyes. Ryuuko unstrapped her sword from her back, setting it down at her side, and threw out her arms, taking up all the space she could and giggling when she accidentally elbowed Chat Noir. “I love you, Adrien,” she said, her cheeks flushing as he leaned over to kiss her gently. </p><p>Too often they focused on the thrill of doing something good, making a difference to someone. It was nice to just lay in the grass and stare up at the stars for once. </p><p>Faint humming filled the air, and Ryuuko and Chat Noir both sat up, bewildered. Ryuuko spotted a lone woman on the princess’s balcony, and pointed Chat Noir in her direction. </p><p>“It’s the princess,” Chat Noir breathed, and Ryuuko nodded slowly. She grabbed her sword absentmindedly and clambered over the hedge, Chat at her heels, to overhear better. They both stopped directly under her balcony, holding their breaths so she wouldn’t hear them.</p><p>The humming cut off suddenly and the two thieves looked at each other in alarm, only for Princess Marinette to sigh, letting the rose fall from between her fingertips. Chat Noir reached out and caught it, frowning thoughtfully at Ryuuko. “I’m such a hopeless romantic,” the princess exhaled sharply, leaning out over the railing. “It’s just a rose. It doesn’t mean anything. No one is going to save me from a loveless marriage.”</p><p>Ryuuko snatched the rose from Chat Noir and pulled out her favorite knife, carefully engraving a heart in the delicate petals, before handing it back to him. He nodded, catching on to her plan, and yeeted it back to the princess. </p><p>The princess’s gasp told them it landed, and she looked back down frantically, spotting the two of them just as they leapt away into the night. Ryuuko looked back and winked, blowing a kiss.</p><p>In her last glance back, she noticed a necklace dangling around her neck, the very same necklace they’d left her during the ball.</p><p>A thoughtful smirk fell over her features.</p><p>At the very least, she’d like to see that innocent pink dusted across pale skin again. </p><p>And at the most… </p><p>They could afford to support one more runaway royal.</p><p>
  <span>They could share the stars they stared up at together.</span>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>if you noticed the "yeeted" part, that was a dare that's not the original writing please ignore that<br/>it's all rosekasa's fault blame her</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0003"><h2>3. Chapter 3</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>how are yall doing time doesn't exist this is totally not very very delayed nope not at all and the new shortest chapter not at all shhhh</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>Marinette stared at the rose in her hand, half convinced she had just imagined the woman in red and the man in black. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>The heart carved into the soft flesh of rose petals said otherwise. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Your Highness?” someone asked hesitantly, and Marinette jumped. She spun around, hiding the rose behind her back instinctively. The nervous page gave her a worried look.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yes?” Marinette asked warmly, not really focusing on anything.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Um, the thieves that snuck into your engagement ball were spotted on the grounds. Her Majesty wished for you to retire for the night and stay inside,” he replied, and Marinette blinked. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“They were </span>
  <em>
    <span>spotted</span>
  </em>
  <span>?” The page’s eyes widened, and Marinette hastily corrected herself. “I mean, I thought thieves who could sneak into a </span>
  <em>
    <span>ball</span>
  </em>
  <span> would find it no trouble at all to sneak around the dark castle grounds.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He nodded thoughtfully. “The man who spotted them was a groundskeeper. No one ever thinks of the groundskeepers.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“It was M. Bruel, wasn’t it?” Marinette replied, holding back a giggle at his astonished look.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Uh- yeah. That’s right. It was him.” The courier straightened up slightly. “How did you know?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“M. Bruel wants to be a poet. Two whole people are easy to find when you’re used to looking for the smallest details.” Marinette observed, gesturing out at the grounds. “All of this? This is his wordless poetry. He can’t write, so he creates like this.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I never thought about it like that,” the courier said, half in awe. Marinette turned away from the balcony, discreetly tucking the rose in her skirts. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What’s your name?” she tilted her head curiously. “I don’t recognize you.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’m new, yeah. My name is Nino Lahiffe, Your Highness,” he replied, bowing as his tone turned stiff and formal. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Marinette smiled. “It’s a pleasure to meet you, Nino. You can tell my mother I’ll stay inside.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Nino bowed again and slipped away.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Marinette shut her balcony doors, setting the rose on the vanity and unclasping her necklace to tuck it in the drawers before her maid noticed the new piece of jewelry. The rose she left on her windowsill behind the curtains, barely managing to shut them before her maid flew in. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Your Highness! I am </span>
  <em>
    <span>so</span>
  </em>
  <span> sorry, I got caught up in the fuss- Your Highness?” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Marinette pasted on a smile. “Yes?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You’re blushing,” the loud redhead said, her brows raising curiously. “Excuse me for my bluntness, but I was half convinced you were uninterested in men.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Marinette ducked her head, her cheeks heating up even more. “It’s nothing, I swear.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Mmhmm,” Tikki hummed skeptically. “Well, the guards are pretty sure the thieves aren’t on the grounds anymore. It’s still unclear if they stole anything else.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Just my heart,” Marinette mumbled, but quickly shut her mouth when her maid gave her a quizzical glance. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’m sorry, what did you say?” Tikki asked, and Marinette waved her away.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Huh? Oh, um, the courier who came in to check on me was cute,” she quickly deflected, piquing Tikki’s interest with a possible piece of gossip. “I think he said his name was Nino?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh, you met Nino?” Tikki lit up. “He’s very sweet, I can see why he’d catch your eye.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Mhmm,” Marinette hummed noncommittally. “He had lovely eyes.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She missed the calculating gleam in Tikki’s eye, and the wiggle of her eyebrows, but she wasn’t talking about Nino anymore. Her mind was replaying the thieves’ glimmering eyes staring at her like she was something to be treasured, not a prize to be won, winking at her with something wild in their movements, something that couldn’t quite be contained in memories. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>She wanted to see them again. It scared her how much she wanted to see them again. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Marinette, you’re blushing again,” Tikki told her amusedly. “You must really like him.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What- no! Of course not! I’m engaged to Duke Barbeau, remember?” Marinette covered up quickly with a squeak, thrown out of her daydreams. “Besides, even if I </span>
  <em>
    <span>did</span>
  </em>
  <span> fall in love, Maman and Papa would never allow me to marry a courier.”</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Or </span>
  </em>
  <span>two</span>
  <em>
    <span> thieves</span>
  </em>
  <span>, her mind reminded her, and a hint of disappointment must have seeped into her tone, because Tikki’s face fell into a determined mask. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Don’t worry about that,” Tikki soothed. “Everything will work out, I promise.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Marinette nodded absentmindedly as Tikki undid the elaborate plait on her head, brushing her hair out until it was silky smooth. </span>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>tikki nO what are you dOING</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0004"><h2>4. Chapter 4</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>guys what is going on in the ml fandom. how did this happen. we're trending on tumblr. because of aDRICHAT??? help i think i'm dying</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Luka started strumming his lute, music notes ringing out through the gardens. His voice soon joined the melody, humming along but not quite forming words. It was an easily recognizable  tune, something to draw out a few listeners so he could earn a few coins or maybe a few pieces of gossip. </p><p>His eyes closed lazily as he soaked up the sunlight, swaying slightly as he played, the music slowly reached a crescendo and continuing on in a slightly more upbeat version of the same song. </p><p>The next repeat was more eerie, haunting, like there was a ghost living in the palace walls, and before he could continue on to the next repeat, a woman cleared her throat. </p><p>Luka opened his eyes slowly, smiling at his sister. “Juleka! It’s been a while since I’ve seen you, how has the palace been treating you?”</p><p>“Fairly well,” Juleka mumbled, her speech deep and slurred like it always had been. Luka loved his sister’s voice, the unique, toned notes blurring together until it was almost like a song. Like chocolate, he thought absentmindedly. “It’s always interesting to listen to all the gossip flying around, especially with the Princess’s engagement.”</p><p>Luka’s eyes lit up as he thought of Ryuuko and Chat Noir, both of them flushed and joyful, just from seeing the princess. It wasn’t his usual information gathering, but he knew his friends, and they were head over heels. Might as well help them out. “The princess’s engagement? Do tell.”</p><p>“Well, obviously it’s loveless, everyone knows Princess Marinette hasn’t shown interest in <em> anyone </em>. Or so everyone thought, but her maid, Tikki, is pretty sure a cute courier caught her eye,” Juleka started, and Luka winced. That wasn’t good. “His name is Nino, he’s pretty new, and I’m pretty sure he’s been crushing on her for a while. He’s a lucky guy.”</p><p>Luka snorted. No, this ‘Nino’ was quite unlucky, actually. <br/>He didn’t envy him, not with Ryuuko and Chat Noir still hooked on the Princess. </p><p>Luka conversed with Juleka until she had to return to her chores, slinging his lute over his shoulder and heading back to the palace entry. If he was in luck, he’d get there before the gates closed even. </p><p>Luka bumped into something and spun around, meeting a surprised woman's eyes. She was pretty, her hair plaited like a crown, and a pastel gown. “Excuse me, my lady, I didn’t see you there,” he apologized, and she shook her head.</p><p>“It was my fault, really,” she argued, amusement dancing over her features. “Truly, I’m glad I did. It’s not often that someone mistakes me for a lady.”</p><p>Luka’s eyes caught on her necklace, a familiar piece he knew too well. “I apologize, Your Highness,” he quickly corrected, and she curtsied.</p><p>“I haven’t seen you around here, are you new?”</p><p>“No, I’m a travelling bard. I come and go,” Luka explains. “My sister lives here. Maybe you’ve met her? Purple tipped hair, slurring voice?”</p><p>“Oh, you’re Juleka’s brother? It’s a pleasure to meet you,” the princess greets, her smile growing. “I’ve always been curious about the hair. How did the two of you do that?”</p><p>“Family curse,” Luka shrugs. “It’s pretty much harmless, but it can draw quite a bit of unwanted attention.”</p><p>The princess nods. “Interesting curse. It’s quite a pretty color.”</p><p>Luka thanks her and turns to go. “I really should be going, Your Highness. I still have to get back to my camp before nightfall,” he tells her, then turns back briefly. “I heard you’ve become quite enamored with a courier, I wish you luck.”</p><p>Bad luck, but he doesn’t voice that, hoping for his family’s sake that something goes wrong. He almost feels guilty, but then the princess blushes and hopelessly tries to deny it. </p><p>Luka’s not convinced. </p><p>Besides, meeting the princess, while pleasant, took up his time, and the gates are already closed. He resigns himself to climbing over the wall and having sore fingers for a week. </p><p> </p><p>The sun is set by the time Luka reaches camp, pulling on his mask before heading into the main area. Chat Noir and Ryuuko are waiting for him, their close contact forming a sweet sort of intimacy that’s the result of years of trust, years of love, and Luka wishes he could love like that. Steady, and grounded. But Luka is a free spirit. He can’t be tied down even if he wanted to. </p><p>“So?” Adrien asks, an eager gleam in his eyes that’s mirrored in Kagami’s. Luka’s heart sinks. </p><p>He wishes he could tell them everything they want to hear. </p><p>“The Princess is rumored to like a courier named Nino, and her affections are reciprocated,” Luka tells them anyways, hating the way their faces fall. “But neither of them seems to have made a move.”</p><p>The air rushes out of Kagami’s lungs in a woosh, harsh and calculating. “So we make a move first. Easy enough,” she says, and glances over at Adrien. </p><p>“Or we sic Alya on the courier,” he breathes. Luka snorts. </p><p>“I think that’s a little overkill,” he voices, but Adrien and Kagami are planning, he can tell, wordlessly plotting out a way to get the new rival away from Marinette. </p><p>There’s something like jealousy in their eyes, something that Luka hasn’t seen in a long time. </p><p>Not even Kim points out the thinly veiled emotion that leaves Adrien and Kagami just that much sharper. </p><p>
  <span>Luka sighs. Adrien and Kagami never had a chance to be over the top with each other, and all the drama and romance that they </span>
  <em>
    <span>didn’t</span>
  </em>
  <span> get, this poor princess is. He almost feels bad for her. </span>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>OKAY SO. story time. someone commented on this like yesterday and i was super distracted but i was like HELL YEAH and i wrote nearly 2k in pieces of various different wips and this received most of the writing, being about 900 words, story time over please comment and thank you LunaMax1214</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0005"><h2>5. Chapter 5</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>Nino hummed as he strolled through the gardens, appreciating the artful placements of the flowering placements with a new eye. The princess’s words stuck with him, how the gardens were M. Bruel’s wordless poetry, and he could see it now, the ways the carefully maintained wildflowers seemed to tell a story, of being in love and being kept apart, of someone standing in between the gardener and happiness but him reaching out despite it. It’s inspiring, the dedication shown in the delicate life through the garden. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>He sighs, wistful, and glances up at the princess’s balcony. She’s not there, but then again he couldn’t really expect her to be there. She’s a princess, after all, of course she has duties and lessons to take up her time. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Just then, the balcony doors slammed open, and the princess stormed out with a huff, sharply closing the doors behind her. She leaned out over the railing, taking a deep breath to regain control of her emotions. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Are you alright, Your Highness?” Nino called up, completely prepared to be dismissed or ignored. His heart leapt when she gave a disarming smile, relaxing slightly. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“As well as I can be, I suppose,” she replied, propping up her head on the railing. “It’s nice to meet you again, Nino, but I’d like to be alone right now if you don’t mind.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Of course, Your Highness. If you need someone to talk to, I won’t be far,” he says warmly, quickly masking his disappointment. He walks away, glancing back around the bushes one last time to smile at the princess’s soft features and her delicate wave. He sighs, trying to remind himself that she’s engaged, she’s going to marry a duke, not a lowly courier, but it was so much easier to crush on a princess from a distance than a woman he’s interacted with, who knows his name. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Nino’s so stuck in his thoughts that he completely misses the branch in his path, sending him tumbling to the ground, and he groans, sitting up straight. As he rubs the dirt off his clothes, there’s a flash of orange and something covers his eyes, the cool press of a knife against his throat. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Are you Nino Lahiffe?” a feminine voice practically purrs, and he shivers, wincing as the knife pricks his neck. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Y-yes?” he asks, and he just barely catches the “</span>
  <em>
    <span>good</span>
  </em>
  <span>” before he’s dragged away, tree branches and leaves beating against his face. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>They stop after an unknown amount of time, and the blindfold is yanked away to reveal a woman in a dark orange outfit, with billowy pants and white accents, her hair pulled up out of the way and an orange mask hiding her features from view. “Who are you?” Nino asks, examining the tiny clearing they’re in. There’s nothing, it’s just the two of them.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’m Rena Rouge,” she grins, twirling her flute around her fingers. In a fluid movement, the flute is gone and Nino’s eyes widen. Rena Rouge is a rather famous thief, after all, Chat Noir and Ryuuko’s thieves aren’t exactly unknown, and Rena Rouge is one of the best. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>And Nino has </span>
  <em>
    <span>nothing</span>
  </em>
  <span> that she could possibly want. His most prized possession is his jade turtle bracelet, but even that is cheap compared to the riches the thieves tend to go after. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Rena Rouge doesn’t do anything, plopping down on a rock and humming slightly, looking far too pleased with herself, and Nino’s never been more suspicious of anyone. “Sooo, why am I here?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Rena Rouge shrugged. “You were in the way, and Queen Bee bribed me into playing nice,” she explained, wrinkling her nose at the mention of her partner in crime. “Besides, you’re kinda cute and I don’t want to ruin that pretty face just because Chat and Ryuu are useless whenever they meet a pretty girl.” She smiled again, her flute back in her hands as she started to play a haunting melody. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Nino shivered, inching away from her. When she ignored him, he made a run for it, dashing through the woods as fast as he could in the direction he was pretty sure lead to the castle. The song cut off abruptly, and something hit the back of his head, hard. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Nino opened his eyes blearily, sitting up. He was back in his room, Chris still snoring from the bed across the room. What a strange dream he’d had, meeting </span>
  <em>
    <span>the</span>
  </em>
  <span> Rena Rouge. As if. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>The orange ribbon tied around his wrist said otherwise. He froze, swearing quietly. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>What had </span>
  <em>
    <span>happened?</span>
  </em>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>i have nothing to say except here's my <a href="https://death-by-ladybug.tumblr.com/">tumblr</a><br/>comments and kudos appreciated!</p></blockquote></div></div>
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